Automated teller machines (ATMs) and other self-service terminals (SSTs) such as self-service retail checkouts, or check-in terminals for airlines, hotels or medical services, often print a receipt for a customer who has used them. In many instances, for example in an ATM, an internal journal printer logs each customer transaction with the terminal for audit purposes. Typically, the printers used for printing receipt and journal printing are thermal printers, with two sided thermal printers being used for printing of coupons, advertising and other information on the obverse side of customer receipt to the transaction receipt.
Typically, the journal printer and the receipt printer are discrete devices located separately within the SST. The provision of separate journal and receipt printers results in them occupying a large total volume within the SST, where such volume is at a premium and could be employed for other uses. Furthermore, as the journal and receipt printers are usually located away from each other the replenishment and servicing of them involves multiple access points and is labor intensive. Also, each printer will use duplicate common parts which add to the manufacturing complexity, failure modes and overall cost of the SST.
A difficulty associated with combining these printers is the conflicting requirement for a continuous stream of media for a journal in order to ensure an uninterrupted record of transactions for audit purposes, and the need to cut the receipt printer paper to allow a customer to take their receipt with them.